


cracker jacks and sue storm

by interstellarbeams



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Baseball, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Kid Fic, Laurel - Original Character, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 20:40:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14553108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Rufus and Jiya join Wyatt, Lucy and their daughter Laurel, to watch a baseball game on TV.





	cracker jacks and sue storm

**Author's Note:**

> Prequel to [in the bedroom light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13962807)
> 
> Thanks to Logan, Jenna and Kinsey for helping me with editing, ideas and syntax! I'm so glad I am friends with y'all! <3

_Cracker Jacks with toys inside_  
_Real beyond our wildest dreams_

\-----

Rufus and Jiya stood on Wyatt and Lucy's front porch arguing over who was best at the ‘invisible’ routine, The Fantastic Four’s Sue Storm or Claude Rains’ Invisible Man.

“The Invisible Man went insane Jiya! I don't know how you can just sit there and ignore that. Crazy always beats strong!” Rufus gesticulated wildly, reminding Jiya of a Tilt-A-Whirl ride at the carnival.

Holding in a snicker at her dork of a boyfriend, she argued back, “But she wasn't just an invisible girl, she was a _woman_ … can you imagine her PMSing and pissed off, she would be unstoppable!”

“I really don't want to think about that,” Rufus mumbled, dropping his hands and shoving them in his pockets. 

“It's a natural bodily function. Men are such babies!” Jiya rolled her eyes, before lifting her fist to knock on the bright blue painted door. Come to think of it the door kinda reminded her of the Tardis and Jiya started to wonder if that wasn't unintentional. _Had Wyatt or Lucy even seen Doctor Who? Do they even know what a Tardis is?_ She wasn't even sure, she would have to remember to ask.

The door opened, almost immediately, revealing an amused Wyatt, “Do you two think you can come over without having nerd discourse on my porch? I can hear you all the way down the hall.” 

“ _Discourse_ , huh? Sounds like your wife’s vocabulary has been rubbing off on you,” Rufus joked.

“Too bad I can't say the same for you,” Wyatt teased back, a wide grin creasing the laugh line by his eyes, winking at an amused Jiya. 

Rufus looked offended for a moment but chuckled as he and Wyatt went in for a hug, clapping each other on the back in typical “bro” fashion.

Jiya reached up to hug Wyatt around the neck, before following her boyfriend into the foyer.

Turning in unison, they both asked, “Where’s Lucy?” at the same exact time.

“Wow, I think you might need to get some more friends or spend more time apart,” Wyatt chuckled, as he led the way to the kitchen.

Rufus scoffed. “Like you and Lucy didn't do the same exact thing back before you were married. Don't even start with me, Logan.”

Wyatt shrugged before opening the fridge and offering Rufus a beer. He offered one to Jiya but she waved him off, “I’m fine with water, thanks.” 

Wyatt popped the bottle cap before taking a swig of his own beer. Jiya, feeling comfortable in her friend’s home, retrieved a glass from a nearby cabinet and filled it at the refrigerator. 

Rufus immediately dug into the bowl of tortilla chips and salsa set out on the kitchen table while Jiya sat down. Wyatt leaned against the doorjamb leading into the living room looking entirely too attractive for a married man with a one and a half year old. 

Glancing around, she appreciated the pale blue of the kitchen walls and the rustic kitchen table with its long bench on one side. You could tell that Lucy had a lot of input in the decorating and that Wyatt had been very hands on when it had come to the work on their very first home. Their house was clean and homey, but you could tell -- by the numerous toys, sippy cups and the high chair next to the kitchen table -- that a infant and her busy parents lived there. 

“Where _is_ Lucy?” Rufus finally asked after stuffing a couple tortilla chips in his mouth.

“She's upstairs,” Wyatt offered, in typical Wyatt fashion, without any superfluous information.

“You're a talkative one,” Jiya prodded him with a finger to the bicep, as she walked past him on the way to the baby’s room. 

Wyatt shot Rufus a look, like, “ _What did she expect_?” but Rufus just shrugged his shoulders in the universal gesture for women.

\-----

Jiya climbed the stairs to the second story. Walking down the hall she smiled at all the framed photos lining the wall. It really irked her that her friends were both so photogenic, even the one year old took adorable photos. Jiya always felt just a little awkward whenever anyone pointed a camera in her direction and her selfie  
game really did suck. She couldn't get a good angle no matter how hard she tried. She could get computers to basically do anything she wanted but when it came to cameras she was a complete nimrod, _Who would have thought?_

Shrugging to herself, she walked into little Laurel’s nursery. The room was painted a warm and sunny yellow with white curtains and cream rugs splayed out on the hardwood floors. A woven basket sat next to the crib full of blankets and small, stuffed animals lined one side of the crib with a mobile overtop spinning, stars and planets whirling slowly.

Lucy's soothing humming stopped as  
she turned at the sound of Jiya’s multiple bracelets chiming together. 

On sight of the adorable one year old, Jiya’s mouth dropped open. She crossed the room to stand next to Lucy at the changing table.

“Oh my god, _Lucy_!” 

Lucy turned and smiled, before lifting the baby into her arms.

“Daddy insisted,” Lucy replied, as she handed her warm weight over into Jiya's waiting arms.

“Laurel!” Jiya breathed, in a high baby voice, “What does daddy have you in?” 

Her dirty blonde curls that usually clustered around her chubby neck were pulled up into a tiny bun on the top of her head and she was wearing a Texas Rangers t-shirt knotted at the back for a snug fit and leggings with little black and white sneakers. 

“The hair was mommy’s idea,” Lucy added, as she brushed a soft kiss on Laurel’s brow.

“And what a good idea it was! You're just an adorable little munchkin!” Jiya kissed Laurel’s little neck, breathing in her soft baby scent, before handing her back over to Lucy. She’d leave the job of carrying the little girl down the stairs to her practiced mother, she didn't want to be responsible for any emergency room trips, for herself or Laurel Logan.

 

\-----

 

“Uncle Rufus!” Jiya called as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

“What?”

“Come here!” She whispered, forcefully.

Rufus grumbled, but she heard the squeak of the kitchen chair being pushed back and the creak of the wood floors as he crossed to the staircase with Wyatt's more moderate tread following behind his.

“Jiya, if this is another attempt to get me to paint the hallway, it's not gonna work! Our landlord has a strict ‘no painting’ policy, you know _this_!” He complained as he rounded the corner.

Jiya beamed, a smile splitting her face, because as soon as Rufus caught sight of Laurel, his face changed from annoyed to adoring in a matter of seconds.

“ _Laura Lee_! What are you up to, you adorable angel?” Rufus immediately snapped her up. Smacking kisses on both of her cheeks and making her giggle. Jiya was always amazed at how easy Rufus was with her, normally he was an anxious mess. Despite his size, Rufus was always the best at putting circuitry back together, so she really shouldn't be surprised that he was good with tiny things.

“ _Laurel_ , Rufus!” Lucy reminded him for the hundredth time, but she smiled at him with affection, knowing that Rufus would keep calling her that, stubbornly. He had been using the endearment ever since Rufus and Laurel's first meeting in Lucy's hospital room. 

Lucy smiled to herself, remembering the memorable moment and the tears that had raced down Rufus’s face when they had asked him to be honorary uncle slash godfather to their little bundle of joy -- with Wyatt being an only child and Lucy's separation from her mother and the loss of Amy, they needed to know that they could trust their daughter to someone who they cherished like family. 

“I seriously don't know how you managed to have such a cute kid,” Rufus turned to Wyatt while Laurel grasped onto his facial hair with tenacious fingers. One year olds and curiosity were never far apart and Laurel always pulled hair whenever she could get her hands on it. Lucy had taken to wearing buns just to keep her hair from being pulled out of her head. 

Wyatt scoffed and whispered _ass_ under his breath. 

“ _Wyatt_ ,” Lucy scolded, shooting him a disapproving look. He smiled apologetically, before coming to stand behind Rufus and crossing into Laurel’s line of sight. 

As soon as she saw Wyatt, she grinned and stuck out her little hands, crying “Da!” in the sweetest little baby voice.

“There’s daddy’s girl!” He grinned back, just as widely, as he lifted her out of Rufus's arms. Rufus looked crestfallen to have his goddaughter taken away from him but he winked at Jiya when she eyed him with concern.

Jiya turned to smile fondly at Lucy as they watched Wyatt carry his little girl around the room. 

“Ready for some baseball?” They heard him ask as he reached into the playpen for one of her favorite toys. 

“Who’s playing again?” Jiya heard Rufus ask, then an undistinguishable answer from Wyatt, as she followed Lucy into the kitchen to retrieve more snacks. 

“By the way, you’re looking good, Lucy,” Jiya added, as she grabbed a stack of plates out of the cabinet.

“ _Jiya_ you don't even know the half of it,” Lucy leaned against the kitchen countertop, with her forehead in her palm. Pushing her hair back, she straightened up and smiled gratefully at Jiya, “I never thought of myself as a very vain person but ever since I got pregnant with Laurel, I've been the most self conscious person ever.”

“I getcha.” Jiya nodded sagely. With three older sisters she had heard similar complaints and a lot more, than she really wanted to know, through post-pregnancy horror stories.

Setting the plates down, she reached out and put a comforting arm around her friend. 

“And I love Laurel to death but that child is running me ragged. You can't tell it by looking at her but she is stubborn, just like her daddy.” 

“I heard that,” Wyatt's amused voice, came from the doorway.

“I hope so. It's all your fault.” Lucy laughed at his faux affronted face, pushing away from the counter and walking towards him.

“Well, I’m pretty sure she got your brains so it's all good,” Wyatt replied, wrapping an arm around Lucy's waist and pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

That was something that had surprised Jiya about stoic, it’s-all-about-the mission Wyatt Logan that she had first met back in 2016, he was a very affectionate person. His hugs might not be Lucy Logan level of exuberant but they always made you feel loved. 

They looked at each other adoringly for a few moments, there loving murmurs too low for Jiya to hear.

“I’ll just leave you to it,” Jiya muttered, deciding to check on Rufus and his little charge once they started getting handsy.

\-----

Jiya wandered into the living room, the murmur of commentator’s voices, from the television, were being overridden by Rufus's voice and Laurel’s baby babble.

“...then me and your Mommy and Daddy had to duck into the closest shop, not even realizing that it was a woman’s haberdashery -- that's where they make hats -- and so we had to act like we had come into the shop to buy your mommy a hat and they were the most ridiculous things you have ever seen with fruit, flowers and even full sized _stuffed_ birds on them. Then the shop owner started giving me the evil eye so I had to skip out…” Rufus trailed off, as Laurel looked straight at him and patted his cheek with one chubby hand. 

“Ruuf,” she said, then started babbling again, mouthing at her elephant teething ring.

Rufus's eyes got big, before he turned to Jiya, a huge grin lighting up his face.

“Did you hear that? You’ll be my witness, right? Guys!” He shouted, jumping up from his place on the floor, surprising himself and Laurel who stopped chewing to stare at him with big brown eyes.

Jiya laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as Rufus grabbed her up in a gigantic bear hug.

“What is it, Rufus?” Wyatt stepped into the room, Lucy right behind him, combing her hair back with her fingers.

Rufus let Jiya go and threw his arms around Wyatt and Lucy who looked startled as he pressed smacking kisses to both their cheeks.

Rufus pulled back and realizing what he had just done, he said, “Sorry, dude,” but Wyatt just shrugged it off.

“What are you so excited about?” Lucy asked, a quizzical look on her face.

Rufus smiled back, kinda sheepish, “Laurel just called me by my name!”

“Right, Jiya?” He turned to glance at her, and she nodded her head quickly. “Oh yeah… _well_ , she definitely said some form of his name. You know? Baby talk.”

“Really?” Wyatt looked surprised, before turning to face Lucy, “Didn't I just say she got your smarts.”

Lucy sat down in front of Laurel and beckoning Rufus over she pulled him down to sit next to her. 

“Laurel,” she called, but the toddler was holding onto her stuffed teddy bear, staring at it intently and then patting her hands on his fluffy head.

“Laurel?” She called again, brushing her finger across her rounded cheek.

“Ma,” She babbled, dropping her teddy to crawl into Lucy's lap. 

“Yes, I’m your momma,” she cooed, straightening the white and blue shirt Laurel wore. 

Jiya propped on the edge of the couch arm while Wyatt sat in the armchair across from her watching his wife and Rufus interacting with his baby girl.

“Who’s this?” Lucy asked, pointing at Rufus.

“Ma,” she repeated, chubby fingers grabbing onto Lucy’s hands. 

“No, not Momma.” Lucy grabbed Laurel’s hand and placed it against Rufus’s lifted palm.

Laurel looked around for a moment, patting Rufus's outstretched hand with her own, “Ruuf!” she finally blurted.

“Wyatt? Did you hear _that_?” Lucy turned to stare at her husband in astonishment -- like all mom’s she was enamoured with everything her little daughter did. 

“I did,” Wyatt got up and grabbed up Laurel, lifting her up over his head, her little fist pressed to her mouth, “Who’s my big, smart girl?” 

Lucy smiled at the scene they made before wrapping her arm around Rufus’s neck and pulling him to her. 

“How do you like that, Rufus? Your first nickname…” Lucy laughed, “I’m pretty sure your name has never been shortened before.”

“Rufus could be a nickname already,” Rufus argued.

“Oh yeah, how’s that?” Wyatt shot Rufus a disbelieving look. 

“It could be short for…” Rufus eyes got big as he tried to quickly think of something, “ _Rufusal_!” 

Jiya snorted at her ridiculous boyfriend.

“Refusal? _Okay_ , that was really a stretch even for you, Mr. Carlin.”

Lucy laughed, holding onto her stomach as Rufus glared at Wyatt. 

“I just call it like I see it,” Wyatt shrugged, before turning his attention back to Laurel and bouncing her around, gushing about Uncle Rufus in a silly voice. 

“You know that was bullshit, even for you Rufus,” Jiya added, kneeling down next to him on the rug.

“Pssh, Wyatt's just mad that the only claim he has to fame is Wyatt Earp… We met that guy! Not much to brag about to be honest, just another _dick_ ,” Rufus prattled on in typical Rufus fashion.

Shooting a smirking Lucy an exasperated look, Jiya reached over and kissed him -- the only guaranteed way to get him to shut up when he rambled.

 

\-----

 

“You know, I really don't get baseball,” Rufus complained, taking another swig from his beer. “The only thing good about sports events is the food… nachos, popcorn, pretzels, peanuts -- basically all your salted foods.” 

“Don't be rude, Rufus! Wyatt clearly loves baseball and you agreed to come,” Jiya replied, whacking him lightly on the leg. 

“Yeah, I agreed to come cause Lucy said there would be food,” Rufus shrugged one shoulder in a ‘sorry, not sorry,’ motion. 

“And I even played that weird game you like so much, Dugouts and Dragons, and were there any complaints from me… I don't think so,” Wyatt added, his fingertip tracing the rim of his bottle, casually.

“ _Dungeons and Dragons_ , not dugouts.” Rufus rolled his eyes at Jiya like, “ _Can you believe this guy_?”

“ _Be nice_ ,” she mouthed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Plus you got a call that night and said you had to go because there was an emergency at base,” Rufus pointed his finger accusingly at Wyatt, “but I didn't get a call and neither did Jiya. That was Lucy calling you for a booty call, wasn't it?”  
Rufus asked, the truth of the moment finally dawning on him. 

Lucy snorted, as if being caught out was the funniest thing ever, while Wyatt blushed, a dimple appearing in his cheek as he smiled at Lucy.

“Sorry, babe.”

“Well, it’s not like we haven't caught you two going at it as well,” Lucy butted in, sharing an amused look with Wyatt.

“That was one time,” Rufus sputtered, “although how the lace bonnet became involved, well... I’ll never tell.” Jiya clapped her hands over Rufus’s mouth, smiling awkwardly at the others in apology but they were too busy laughing to give her much attention.

“If you don't _shut up,_ ” Jiya warned Rufus. Trying for stern but she couldn't stay mad at him with those big brown eyes staring back at her.

Lucy hopped up from the couch and leaned over the playpen where Laurel was taking a nap, placing her hand against the sleeping baby's back she gazed at her for a few moments.

Straightening up, she asked, “Speaking of food, who wants Cracker Jack’s?” 

“Rufus, put your hand down, I already know how you feel about baseball and food,” Lucy teased, turning her head back over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen.

“None for me, thanks,” Wyatt sat back further in his chair, his appreciative gaze locked on Lucy as she left the room.

Jiya turned away, watching the screen as another one of the bases got stolen. 

Baseball wasn't her favorite pastime either but she loved her friends and she loved spending time with them even more so she just shrugged mentally and scooted closer to Rufus, leaning against his knee.

 

\-----

 

Another inning or so later, it was hard to tell since she wasn't well versed in baseball lingo or logistics, but she could tell that Rufus was getting antsy again.

“So, uh-- Wyatt? How long have you been a Rangers fan?” Jiya prompted, not only to distract Rufus but to keep her own eyes from glazing over.

Wyatt started talking about his Grandpa Sherwin and she swore she was trying to pay attention but she got lost in thought for a moment before she was snatched out of her wandering thoughts by a loud laugh from her boyfriend.

Jiya jerked, turning around to glare at him, “What the _hell_ is so funny all of a sudden?” 

Rufus continued to laugh, tears forming in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

Jiya turned her attention back to Wyatt to try and gauge what had her boyfriend laughing so hard but Wyatt's face was as blank as Rufus's was animated. 

“What happened?” She asked, not really directing it at any one of them but hoping for an answer anyways.

Rufus wiped at his tears with his hoodie sleeve before he started stuttering out an explanation. 

“Wyatt-- Wyatt, wears lucky underwear when his team plays,” Rufus continued to struggle to hold in a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand but his eyes were still bright with laughter and tears.

“I don't know what you think is so funny about it, Rufus,” Wyatt complained, crossing his arms over his chest defensively like a child about to be put in the timeout corner.

“Don’t tell me, don't tell me,” Rufus rambled, and Jiya seriously considered finding one of Laurel’s pacifiers to shut him up, “they don't have dice on them, do they?” 

Rufus smacked his leg with his open palm and cracked up once more, as if he had just told the funniest joke in the world.

“Actually,” added Lucy, as she walked into the room holding a box of Cracker Jack’s in each hand, “they have rubber ducks on them.” 

Wyatt groaned, slumping forward on the couch with his head on his bent arm. 

“Lucy…” he warned, lifting his head and sending her a glare.

“What? We’re all friends here.” Lucy laughed, not even taking Wyatt's threatening tone seriously because that's all it was.

“You didn't _have_ to tell him.”

“No, I didn't but I wanted to,” Lucy winked at Jiya as she passed Rufus his snack box.

Rufus took it from her but immediately set it down on the side table, “ _Ducks_!” he cackled, a hissing sound coming out between his teeth.

“Anyways, It's not like Rufus doesn't have that special little ritual before every jump…” she trailed off, her dark brown eyes lit up and teasing, “Isn't that right, Rufus?”

Rufus immediately stopped laughing, “Hey, that's another thing that we don't talk about, you _promised_.”

Wyatt sucked his teeth, “Lucy, I’m _your_ husband. You keep Rufus’s secrets and not mine?”

“You never said it was a secret,” Lucy ran her hand over the back of his neck as she sat down next to him. Their eyes held and Jiya figured there must have been an apology in there somewhere because the conversation was dropped. 

 

\-----

 

“You know, I’m craving something sweet,” Wyatt turned toward Lucy, a small smirk curving the corner of his mouth, and a spark lighting in his eyes.

“Nope, you aren't getting any of my Cracker Jack’s mister,” Lucy replied, snatching her Cracker Jack box out of reach. 

“Who said anything about Cracker Jack’s?” Wyatt moved closer to Lucy on the couch, his hands grasping her by the waist and pulling her closer. Lucy giggled, her hands going around his shoulders as he drew closer.

Jiya turned to look at Rufus, from her place on the floor by his feet, with a _we better get out of here_ look.

“Uhh, well it's been nice guys, but we gotta get home to uhh--” Rufus stumbled over his words, “ to feed our hamster, _yeah.”_

__

__

Rufus motioned to Jiya to get up, averting his eyes from Wyatt and Lucy’s amorous embrace and almost running into the baby’s playpen in the process.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, and shrugging his shoulders at a confused Jiya, Rufus let them out the front door. 

“Rufus, we don’t have a hamster.” Jiya shrugged her jacket back on, pulling her long hair out from underneath the collar, and straightening the cuffs. 

“ _Duh_ , I was just trying to come up with an excuse. I’m sorry I don't think well on my feet, _okay_?"

Jiya slipped her arm around Rufus’s waist, hugging him close, and smiling up at him. “That's okay, that’s why you have me… your amazingly gorgeous, genius girlfriend.”

“Wow, that’s a tongue twister,” Rufus chortled but swung his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“If I’m not wrong and I rarely am, I wouldn't be surprised if Laurel has a baby brother or sister soon. _Damn_ ,” Rufus chuckled, as he fished the car keys out of his pocket and unlocked his Prius.

Jiya rolled her eyes at Rufus's dramatics but she couldn't say she didn't disagree.

“There's a thing called birth control, Rufus, I’m sure you've heard of it.” Jiya rolled her eyes, when Rufus made another disgusted face.

“You talk about our friend's sex life a lot for someone who looks grossed out anytime someone mentions birth control,” Jiya added, as she opened the passenger side door, “You do know I use birth control, right?”

“Of course I do! What kind of question is _that_?” Rufus squeaked, his voice raising an octave on the last syllable.

“You really are ridiculous, you know that right? And Sue Storm is definitely better than Invisible Man, you’re just going to have deal with it.” Jiya's laughter and Rufus's reply got cut off as she shut the car door and they pulled out of the driveway, the front porch lit up by the porch light and the warm glow coming through the windows.

__  



End file.
